"The hearts of the army cannot be bought with just 2,000 dan of grain and fodder. I think you should understand this principle better than I do."
The commander suddenly sneered, as if recalling some interesting past events. "Wuhui, I trust your judgment, but I cannot trust the person you choose. Don't you also make mistakes sometimes? You trust your lord, and I trust you, but that doesn't mean I will trust the lord you trust. It's like, although County Magistrate Shen is the County Magistrate of Longwu County, he has no control over Yonggu Pass."
As the county magistrate, Shen Tang was indeed in charge of both political affairs.
But it does not include Yonggu Pass, the troops of Yonggu Pass have little to do with Longwu County. They can have military power, but they don't have soldiers. Even if the envoy is Chu Yao, he still owes the most to his childhood friend. How can public and private be confused
Even if he gave up the power to dispatch troops, Shen Tang would not be able to mobilize them.
There were only more than 20,000 soldiers stationed at Yonggu Pass, 70% of which were his personal troops, and the remaining 30% were from Longwu County. Even if Shen Tang got the military power, he could only command these 30% in theory, and there was a high probability that he could not command them. Because these 30% of the troops were left by the previous county governor, and currently only the main general who led them to repel the invasion of the Ten Crows countless times was recognized.
The commander did not explain it very clearly.
But this makes no difference when it comes down to it.
For Chu Yao's sake, he could ignore the troubles of Mr. Shen. As long as he didn't stab Yonggu Pass in the back, he could guard the pass safely and the other party could serve as his county governor safely. The two sides could keep to themselves. But if they overstepped their boundaries...
At most, the commander can lead his troops to fight in another home field.
For example, plundering the Ten Crows to support war.
For him, being able to do ten things is enough.
It doesn't matter where the war is fought.
The reason why he held on to Yonggu Pass was because he owed a favor to the previous county governor, which was why he had been stationed here for more than ten years.
Chu Yao's voice was indifferent, but with an unquestionable firmness: "My Lord, of course you have the ability."
The commander was slightly startled and asked, "Why?"
He then asked, "Is it possible that he has the national seal in his hand?"
As soon as these words came out, Xu Quan's pupils trembled.
Yu Zhubu was stunned at first, then he understood something.
Chu Yao's expression was calm.
Commander: "I was careless. I shouldn't have misunderstood that you regained your literary talent by following Zheng Qiao. Your temperament has not changed much from the past, but this is also your biggest flaw. In fact, even if you verbally admit that you are Zheng Qiao, I will believe it."
At first, he was misled by Yu Zhubu and subconsciously thought it was Zheng Qiao, but when he calmed down, he felt something was wrong. He had seen Chu Yao's stubborn temper since he was a child and a young man.
This man becomes stubborn and outsiders can't do anything to him.
For example, when Wenxin was replaced, which was such a big event, no one else knew about it except for a few people who witnessed it.
Including the main general.
It was not until his father's last words that he knew about this incident. Of course, Chu Yao's ability to conceal the truth was also related to the carelessness of the commander. He was curious about why his childhood friend no longer liked to wear the Wenxin seal, but the latter just said indifferently that he was afraid that he would feel inferior when he saw it. The commander was furious and immediately sent him to the border without the energy to think about it.
Looking back, there were flaws everywhere.
Chu Yao said: "Because it is not necessary."
Why should he hide how good his lord is
Recognize Zheng Qiao
He was afraid that he would have a nightmare late at night.
The commander-in-chief frowned and said, "If you think that a mere national seal can do something, you are overestimating it. A national seal can never prove anything." If a national seal could guard the pass, the State of Chu would not have perished.
Which country doesn’t have a national seal
This thing is an original sin in the hands of the weak. It is an invitation from the King of Hell. Shi Wu will be more excited if he knows it. In the hands of the strong, it is just icing on the cake. He thought Chu Yao would not be superstitious about it.
If Shen Tang's confidence in seizing military power was just a national seal, the commander could only say it was a pity.
He might even attack Shen Tang first.
The reason is simple—
The commander didn't know what Chu Yao was planning, but once the national seal was taken to Yonggu Pass, the territory outside the pass was the territory of the Ten Crows. They had been coveting the national seal for more than a year or two. If the news leaked out, wouldn't the Ten Crows gather hundreds of thousands of troops overnight to attack the border? Use the most troops, the fastest speed, and the smallest price to seize the national seal before Zheng Qiao and his ilk could react.
In order to prevent the Ten Crows from going crazy and causing trouble, and also to prevent the trouble caused by the national seal falling into the hands of the Ten Crows, the commander had to strike first and nip the danger in the bud.
The commander suppressed his emotions and tried to communicate peacefully with his childhood friend: "You can go anywhere, but you shouldn't come to Longwu County. Is this national seal more meaningful for guarding the pass, or is it more likely to be a gift to Shiwu..."
“Who can afford the consequences?”
"Is it you? Or your lord Shen Jun?"
"Or a commoner from Longwu County?"
Facing the commander's calm but murderous question, Chu Yao simply said, "As long as the lord is here, the border barrier will be fine. As long as there are no problems with the border barrier, Yonggu Pass will be safe with 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers stationed there. The lord wanted to stay in the increasingly prosperous Heyin to make plans for the future, but the real lord Zheng Qiao failed to perform his duties, so she can only act as the emperor, that's all."
"Whether the national seal can be used or not depends on who holds it."
Commander: “…”
He didn't continue to refute anything.
He just frowned in thought, glanced at Xu Quan and the other man, recalled the changes in their expressions just now, and asked Chu Yao in a casual tone like an old friend chatting: "Do you need anything?"
Xu Quan and the other two were puzzled: "???"
Why did the topic change so quickly
Chu Yao's face turned pale and he said, "No need."
The commander seemed to not believe Chu Yao, and glanced at Xu Quan and the others: "Wu Hui is not worried about complications?"
The two were both confused, but Chu Yao understood—his former childhood friend was asking him if he needed to kill someone to silence him.
After all, judging from the reactions of Xu Quan and the other two, they didn't know much about the national seal and were worried that the two would leak the secrets.
The dead are the best at keeping their mouths shut.
We can just turn around and say that it was the ten black bandits who killed him.
Chu Yao knew his methods too well.
only-
unnecessary!
Chu Yao: "You are the biggest 'branch'!"
He knew his ex-childhood friend from more than ten years ago. He was not sure how much the other party had changed in the intervening years, and there was no guarantee that the other party would do something "crazy".
The national seal is a double-edged sword for Yonggu Pass.
But the commander did not trust Shen Tang.
This sword is of no benefit to him.
After all, it would be difficult for a new county governor who wanted to seize military power right from the start to win the approval of the veteran generals.
When the commander heard this comment, he actually laughed.
"That is indeed the case."
Chu Yao: “…”
The commander casually picked Lu Jue.
"Well, it's you. Go back and tell your lord that your Gongcao is visiting Yonggu Pass and chatting with old friends. He is not in a hurry to hire someone, so he can wait for three to five months. He will definitely let Wuhui go back safely. If he is in a hurry, please come in person. The key to seizing military power lies in the morale of the army. Let us see how a child dares to make such a bold statement!"
When Lu Jue heard this, he realized that they were going to detain someone.
He immediately stood up angrily.
But no matter how talented he was, he couldn't help starting too late, and was directly suppressed and intimidated by the power of the commander, who remained calm.
"Brute force is not enough to convince the soldiers. Are all the brave warriors under Lord Shen's command as reckless as you?"
Lu Jue's face turned pale.
Until Chu Yao said: "Shousheng, go and deliver a letter."
Lu Jue said: "But..."
Chu Yao: "Wen Shi is still here, and I am not powerless. Although the two of us cannot do anything to Yonggu Pass, we can still open the eyes of General Chu and Yu Zhubu together. With two less people guarding the army, I think Shiwu, the 'fisherman', will be very happy. General Chu always puts the overall situation first, and I believe he will not neglect us, so you can rest assured."
Commander: “…”
This is the first time I’ve been threatened by Chu Yao.
He had no other intention in "detaining" the person. He just wanted to see whether the young boy who was "acting as the emperor" as Chu Yao said was just good at talking or had real extraordinary qualities.
It is hard to be convinced just by Chu Yao's words.
If he were alone, he could believe it.
But he was the main general, and more than 20,000 brothers had entrusted their lives to him, so he could not easily trust him.
So, seeing is believing.
If the goods are not as ordered, Yonggu Pass is also a good place to start, nipping the hidden dangers in the bud.
It all depends on whether Mr. Shen has the courage to attend the meeting alone.
Lu Jue struggled for a few breaths.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and accepted the order.
"By the way." Chu Yao glanced at Yu Zhubu with a sneer in his eyes and reminded, "Remember to ask Wei Heng to come as well."
Lu Jue was at a loss for a moment.
Why bring Yu Zi to such an occasion
Yu Zi, now known as "Weiheng".
"only."
Lu Jue did not dare to delay for even a moment and galloped all the way.
I was afraid that if I delayed for too long, my husband would be wronged.
In fact, Chu Yao was indeed wronged.
Because the conditions at Yonggu Pass are harsh.
The most recent batch of fresh military rations was sent by Shen Tang.
Ever since Zheng Qiao and Shi Wu had been flirting with each other, the guards of Yonggu Pass had a hard time, because their immediate superiors had taken the lead in colluding with the enemy. Originally, there were 50,000 guards in Longwu County, some of whom died in the battle to defend the city, and more chose to be deserters. The remaining 20,000 or so were all screened through layers of screening, and their willpower was extraordinary, making it difficult for outsiders to control them.
"The conditions are like this, just make do with it."
As a distinguished guest, Chu Yao was treated the same as him.
It can be seen that the commander is not well-off.
Chu Yao was used to hardship, so he didn't find it unacceptable and looked normal. But Xu Quan had a hard time swallowing and complained, "This cake is so hard that it can break my teeth... Bah, this is not something that can be eaten by humans. Yonggu has been closed for a long time, and this is all you eat?"
The commander hummed, "That's pretty good."
Xu Quan pursed his lips but still ate it.
I was curious again: "How do you solve the problem of salary cut?"
Commander: "Borrow from the neighbors."
Xu Quan was confused for a moment: "Neighbor?"
Immediately I thought of something.
There have been similar examples before, where a garrison commander had his food and salary supply cut off by his superiors. In order to ensure that his subordinates had enough food, the general took his men to rob the common people of their money every now and then.
They only rob people of their money, not their lives, and the common people under their rule are suffering.
Wouldn't this person do the same
But the commander dispelled his guess with the next sentence: "There is nothing else in Shiwu, but there are many cattle, sheep and horses."
All meat.
Some tribes on the Shiwu border were also afraid of being robbed by them. In addition, the weather was cold, so all the tribes, big and small, migrated away. This also made it more difficult for the soldiers in Yonggu Pass to get their military pay, which was very worrying.
Xu Quan: "... counterattack Shiwu?"
The commander was amused by this remark: "What else? If you are hungry, you must get something to eat. The enemy's food tastes delicious!"
Xu Quan was fair-skinned and young.
He sneered, which made Xu Quan unhappy.
"What are you laughing at?"
The commander asked, "Do you fight according to the military manual?"
Xu Quan: “… You!”
Isn't this a clear mockery of my own immaturity
The commander stayed for a while, and seeing that Chu Yao treated him coldly, he did not want to be bored, so he got up and left, and did not restrict Chu Yao and the other two from moving around, allowing them to wander around Yonggu Pass. Xu Quan was worried: "If the lord comes..."
Chu Yao said: "The Lord will come."
Xu Quan: "This is too dangerous."
This commander is obviously not a good person.
Chu Yao knew this: "We have to find a way to break the impasse, otherwise we will be tied up. The 20,000 elite soldiers at Yonggu Pass will be hard to subdue. Killing the commander is useless. If the commander is gone, they will most likely scatter like birds and beasts, and then make trouble under the banner of revenge for the commander. Recruit them? It would be good if we can recruit 100 or 200 soldiers. Our army only has more than 10,000 soldiers, which cannot fill this hole. The best way now is to stabilize him. The lord does not need his loyalty, only his soldiers... Besides, the danger is not that great."
Xu Quan was a little unconvinced: "How can it not be big?"
Chu Yao climbed up the city wall accompanied by Xu Quan. What came into view was the vast and desolate snow-capped mountains and the gray sky.
"His goal is to defend Yonggu Pass and repel the Ten Crows, and so is our goal. Apart from the conflict over military power, there is no other dispute between the two sides, let alone a life-and-death feud. Win-win is much better than mutual consumption... He probably has the same plan. He needs food and we need his troops. This is not beyond negotiation. The key now is to let him see the lord and dispel his doubts."
"Can the situation be resolved as soon as the lord arrives?"
"My lord, he will be convinced." Chu Yao said.
Robbing the Ten Crows could solve the temporary food and salary crisis, but it was not a long-term solution. Longwu County also needed to recuperate. It would certainly be a good thing if there was a reliable county magistrate.
Why fight to the death when both sides can win
More than 20,000 battle-hardened elite soldiers...
This is a godsend.
Before learning that the commander was a childhood friend, Chu Yao's plan was not so peaceful and friendly. He intended to start with Yu Zhubu, and the process would be a little bloody, and it was estimated that 40% of the guards would be slaughtered. But the commander was a childhood friend... He changed his mind.
He plans to get something for nothing.
Xu Quan thought of another thing and his face looked strange.
"But wouldn't that make you feel bad, sir?"
"Uncomfortable?" Chu Yao was puzzled, "Why is it uncomfortable?"
"Those two people... can be considered half enemies, right?"
Chu Yao realized what he wanted to say, and said with a smile: "The real enemy has drowned in the toilet, the mentor is buried, and Yu Shizhong is just following orders... As for him, he is innocent... In your eyes, I am such a narrow-minded person?"
Xu Quan hurriedly shook his hands: "No, no, no, that's absolutely not what I meant."
Chu Yao smiled and teased: "The hatred between Jiang Xiandeng and Qi Yuanliang is no less serious than this old man's. They can endure it, so why can't I endure it? For the sake of the lord's cause! A little intolerance will ruin a great plan!"